Whacky research: Tall men make more money as they are perceived to be more intelligent

Tall men make more money because they are perceived to be more intelligent and powerful.

At least that's what a study from Australia published in The Economic Record by Wiley-Blackwell claimed The 2009 study 'Does Size Matter in Australia', attempted to establish a connection between hourly wages and two aspects of body size: height and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Co-author ProfessorAndrew Leigh says, "Our estimates suggest that if the average man of about 178 centimetres gains an additional 5 centimetres in height, he would be able to earn an extra $950 per year - which is approximately equal to the wage gain from one extra year of labour market experience."

It is thought that taller people get more respect, which in turn boosts their self-esteem. Therefore, they are more likely to be assertive at the workplace - an trait that makes them likely to get promoted.

While there is a wage relation to height, there is no relation between earnings and BMI.